Purpose
by DunDunFiction
Summary: Rafael and Olivia are just friends. But as they start to spend time with each other, that could all change. Established Barson. Rating for later in the story.
Chapter 1

It was the sound of thunder that awoke Rafael Barba out of a deep and very much needed sleep. Not his alarm, not his phone, but the sound of that damn thunder. Yes, he loved thunderstorms, loved the lightning but when they woke him up way before he was supposed to be, that's when he hated them.

Glancing over at the clock, which read five-thirty, he decided he was up for the day, figuring it was nearly impossible for him to fall back into that amazing sleep he was having.

Rafael moseyed out to his kitchen, making himself a cup of coffee, something he recently discovered he can't live without. As his coffee was brewing, he changed into his 'work' clothes, wearing a cream colored jacket, white undershirt, and a bright blue tie. As he adjusted his tie, he heard the familiar tone of his cell phone go off.

 _Who in the right mind would be calling me at almost six in the morning?_ He asked himself but answered the call anyways.

"Barba," that was his most common way to answer the phone.

"Hey, you awake?" It was the voice of Olivia Benson on the other line. They had become close since he started taking cases for SVU. They would occasionally go out for drinks or have a very, very late dinner but that was it. Nothing more.

"Nope, I'm fast asleep," he retorted sarcastically. He was the most sarcastic person Olivia has ever met but that's what gave him…spunk if you will.

"Ha-ha very funny."

"I thought so," she could almost see him smiling through the phone, "is there anything I could help you with?"

"Yes, the case we started working on the other day, the Baker case," she hesitated waiting for him to say something.

"What about it?"

"I don't quite…understand…well…any of it," she admitted.

"Why don't we talk more over lunch? "I'm just getting ready for the day, my coffee is almost done and I have to be out the door in a half an hour."

"Ok, lunch it is." They said their goodbyes and hung up.

He really did like talking with Olivia. Something about her made him feel happy, he didn't know what it was. Maybe it was her compassion for the victims or maybe it was how she never gave up, he didn't know but whatever it was, he liked it.

*Later that day*

Rafael sat at his desk, flipping through case files and other papers, which was the main cause of his headache. He also blamed it on the weather and maybe his hunger but he had to power through it.

The sound of his door opening made him look up from his papers to see Olivia stride in with two plastic bags in her hand and a stunningly beautiful smile on her face which was contagious. He smiled back at her, gesturing her to take a seat.

"Thought you might be hungry," she said pulling a takeout box from the bag and handing it to him. The smell of whatever was in the box made his stomach growl quite loud. His face became bright red as Olivia managed to laugh at his embarrassment.

"Sorry," he laughed, "my stomach decided it wanted to play the song of its people." This made Olivia laugh even harder. So hard, that she snorted which made him laugh. Before they knew it, they were red faced and crying of laughter.

They didn't talk about the case like he initially suggested that morning. They talked about their days and what they've been doing with their lives which was nothing more than sleep and work.

Olivia was rambling on about something she saw on T.V. that was complete bullshit, Rafael sat back in his chair and watched her, thinking to himself about how beautiful she was when she rambled. He wondered, for a moment, what it would be like to have a relationship with Olivia. Being able to call her his and whatnot. But the thought only lasted for a moment then drifted back to wherever it came from. They were like best friends, he didn't want to jeopardize that for his own feelings.

Little did he know, Olivia was thinking the same thing. She studied him as he ate his food out of the container, wondering what it would be like to wake up to him every morning. Wondering if it would last. Again, her thought only lasted for a moment, drifting back into her 'never could happen' part of her brain.

But it was only a thought for the duo. Just a thought. Never could happen. Right?


End file.
